Monta Ellis stays home resting because of sprained ankle

PHOENIX — No one really knows when Warriors guard Monta Ellis is coming back. No one really knows when or how he even sprained his right ankle, which kept him out of Saturday's game at the Phoenix Suns.

The only update regarding Ellis' condition was that he's at home resting. He will be evaluated today, after which his status for Tuesday's game at Sacramento and thereafter will be determined. X-rays taken Friday were negative after Ellis asked out of the game against the New Jersey Nets early in the third quarter. He apparently sustained the injury midway through the first quarter, but it might've been the second quarter depending on whom you ask.

Up until tipoff, it looked as if Ellis' absence would leave rookie Stephen Curry as the only guard available. But C.J. Watson, who had missed the previous four games with a laceration on his right hand, decided he would play.

Watson had the five stitches removed from his hand Friday but didn't expect to play until Tuesday. But after warm-ups, and some encouragement from his teammates, Watson played.

"It still hurts a lot," Watson said. "It's probably going to take a while to heal, like another week or two. ... The plan was to wait until Tuesday, get a couple practices in. But this is even better than practice."

He totaled 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting in 25 minutes. Most important, he allowed coach Don Nelson to rest Curry for nearly five minutes in the first half.

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Curry, who played all 48 minute of Friday's win vs. New Jersey, was staring at another 48 before Watson stepped up.

"He was huge," Curry said. "It was nice to get those eight minutes (of rest). It felt like he hadn't missed any time. He came in shooting the ball and getting to the basket."

Warriors forward Corey Maggette has made 107 of 117 free throws his last 11 games. He's the first player in NBA history to take at least 10 free throws in at least 10 straight games and make 80 percent of those free throws.

"He's always done that in his career," Nelson said of Maggette's ability to get to the free-throw line. "Being a guy that gets touches almost every time down the floor, because he's one of our main guys, that helps."

The last Warrior to get to attempt double-digit free throws for as many consecutive games was Wilt Chamberlain. In 1964, between December 11 and December 30, Chamberlain attempts at least 10 free throws in 12 straight games. Chamberlain shot 46.4 percent from the free-throw line that season.

Forward Kelenna Azubuike was with the team in Phoenix. He came to get his surgically repaired left knee looked at by Phoenix Suns team doctor Tom Carter, who repaired Azubuike's patellar tendon in November. Azubuike has been feeling stiffness in his knee, which is to be expected.